The pros and cons of screening potential adopters

A reader told me he went to adopt a dog at a local shelter and was refused because he only had a four-foot fence at his home. Apparently, he was looking for a medium-sized dog and the shelter said he had to have a six-foot fence to adopt a dog of that size.

In Texas, that will exclude a lot of potentially good adopters, especially since three-foot chain length fences — a foot shorter than his fence — seem to be the standard not just around town, but in many rural parts of the area too. He has had dogs all his life and said he never had one go over the fence. He also has a neighbor with a Standard Poodle who stands behind another four-foot fence too. That dog hasn’t jumped the fence either.

I understand the shelter’s policy though as some breeds of dogs can easily jump a four-foot fence and with so many mixed breed dogs in shelters, you never know which one might be the one to make the jump. I don’t see any heelers doing this, but certainly boxers and boxer mixes and perhaps some Labradors would see a four-foot fence as an easy escape. You have to choose the right dog so that they don’t escape and you would have to make sure that the air conditioning unit (or anything else they could climb upon) is not close enough to the fence that your dog could climb up on it and jump over the fence and out of the yard.

Right now, my two six-month-old puppies, Buster and Archie are 46 and 40 pounds, respectively. They are both boxer mixes, but Buster actually looks like a boxer while Archie apparently looks like his father — an unknown entity believed to be a St. Bernard, but he clearly is not getting his dad’s size. If I had to put them behind a four-foot fence, I would only worry about Buster, who can and does leap around like a deer in the yard. I am certain he would not stay behind a four-foot fence. But Archie doesn’t bounce around like that and probably would never think of jumping a fence — unless his brother Buster, gives him the idea.

Shelters, of course, don’t want one of their adoptees getting loose and becoming lost. But I also think there should be some serious discussion with the adopter about the amount of time the dog spends outside. For example, my dogs are always supervised when outside. I wouldn’t leave them outside and go anywhere. They are indoor dogs who get to go out and roll around in the grass and play in the sun when I am home and able to watch them. My reader was sort of dismissed after revealing his fence size. No one suggested a smaller dog to him nor did they ask about how much time the dog would spend inside or outside of the home. I think these are important discussions to have because you would be surprised what you can learn.

One day, when I still worked at the humane society, one of our adoption counselors refused a woman a 5-lb, 13-year-old dog because she said she would never let the dog on the furniture. I happened to overhear this and walked over. I knew she was about to be rejected as an adopter, but something told me to ask her to explain. She said she wanted the dog to sit on her lap instead or on the blanket she provided on the couch. That’s reasonable, and she did get to adopt the dog. It’s always important to listen to an adopter and get the entire story.

When I asked my reader how he felt about not being able to adopt a dog at this particular shelter, he was actually very gracious and said he understood. “If that is their policy, that is their policy,” he said. “I don’t expect them to make exceptions for me, but I think I can provide a good home for a dog.”

I didn’t ask him any more questions beyond that so couldn’t say whether he would be a good adopter or not.

Screening potential adopters is an important part of our commitment to shelter pets to ensure they are not returned to a shelter or dumped when no longer wanted. But I also believe we have an obligation to open our minds to the possibility each potential adopter offers so that more pets may find loving homes.

Cathy M. Rosenthal

4 Responses

Since all my “grandkids” were rescued from the cruel streets of San Antonio, my daughter didn’t choose. Jane is a jumper. We tried a trolley (limited movement so she wouldn’t jump the fence and hang herself) but she was too unhappy. So, some of the dogs are out and some in at the same time. Jane is in when my daughter works. / When my daughter found her, Jane had a huge ulcer on her side. She’s all better. // Jean Clelland-Morin

Wow, that’s amazing. I would expect such gymnastic feats of a Jack Russell, but not a dachshund. Apparently, your dog is more of one than the other. As for slipping through a hole, yes, dogs and cats can push themselves through very small spaces. Holes in the yard or fence can be a problem.

I saw my 20 lb Jack Russell-Dachsund mix jump a 4 foot fence three times in one day. That’s when I decided to raise it up to 8 feet.

Not long afterwards, two other dogs, a pit bull and a skinny bird dog, escaped by going through a small 6″x12″ foundation vent.

Never underestimate a dog’s ability to escape.

About the Author

Cathy M. Rosenthal has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, communications and humane education in the animal welfare field. She has worked for local humane societies and national humane groups, appearing on hundreds of television and radio news and public affairs programs to address animal issues. She currently is a consultant for local and national animal welfare organizations, writing grants, annual reports and other marketing materials. She is also the author of several children's books about animals.